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Chapter 1: Overview of Graphics systems

Video Display Devices


Raster-Scan System!
Random-Scan Systems
Input Devices
Graphics Software

Introduction:
Graphics is the familiar word for all. Graphics means visual
representation of things that mean giving the visual representation of
whatever you are thinking. Very simple example for graphics is: which you
are using in your daily life; visuals in mobile phone and computer display.
Why you have to study graphics as part of in your curriculum. Graphics is the
part of all computer software and applications. Without graphics, no
computer software and application. So graphics is important for computer
science. One more thing computer is the one of the system for graphics so
its must for computer science.
Computer graphics involves display, manipulation and storage of
picture and experimental data for proper visualization using computer.
Typical graphic system is consists of host computer with fast processor, large
memory, frame buffer, input devices, output devices and interface devices.

Framework of Graphics
From the above you can understand the concept and framework of graphics
system. In the above figure left side: application model and application
program are belongs to the developer side. Software developers are
developing the programs and application. That programs and applications
are running in the graphics systems. Can get the output in devices like
monitors and can give the input to the system using input devices like
keyboard.

One small example for the graphics system: calculator application in


computer. That calculator application is programed and developed by the
software developer. That calculator application is running in the computer
graphics system and it is producing then the result based on the inputs.

Applications:
Lot of applications is available for graphics systems. Here I listed some
important areas.
1. GUI (Graphical User Interface)
Basically it is an interface, between the user and graphic system.
It is help to interact the user and system vice versa by input and
output. Some GUI components are:
Menus
Icons
Cursors
Scroll bars
Dialog boxes
Grids etc.,
2. Plotting in business
3. Office automation
4. Desktop publishing
5. Plotting in science and technology
6. Advertisements
7. CAD/CAM design
8. Scientific visualization
9. Entertainment
10.
Simulation studies
11.
Multimedia
12.
Process monitoring
13.
Digital Image Processing
14.
Education in training
Application packages and standards:
Why need standards in graphics:
Standards are very important for graphics because the programmers
have to use common syntax, rules and procedures to build the graphics
system.
GKS
o Graphics Kernel System by ISO(International Standard
Organization) and ANSI(American National Standards Institute)
SRGP
o Simple Raster Graphics Package
PHIGS
o Programmers Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System
OpenGL
o Open Graphic Library
Output Primitives:
Four basic output primitives are available to draw any type of pictures.
Those primitives are:
POLYLINE
Filled POLYGONS
ELLIPSE
TEXT
Major Area:

Four major areas of computer graphics are:


Display of Information
Design and Modeling
Simulation
User Interface
Types:
Two Types available
Active Graphic System
In this type user can control the display with the help of
GUI and Input devices.
Example: Video games
Passive Graphic System
In this type user cant control the display.
Example: TV Channel
Video Display Devices:
Video display devices are the most important output device in the
graphics systems. Three type of display devices available. These devices are
working based on the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) only. These types are:
Direct View Storage Tube (DVST)
Calligraphic or Random Scan Display system
Refresh and Raster Scan Display system

Direct View Storage Tube (DVST):

Cathode Ray Tube is the important part in the DVST display. First we
will see some properties of DVST.
Storage tube is CRT with a long persistence phosphor.
It provides the flicker free display.
No refreshing is necessary
A slow moving electron beam draws a line on the screen
Screen has a storage mesh in which the phosphor is embedded
Image is stored as a distribution of charges on the inside surface of the
screen
Operation of electron gun with an accelerating anode:
The below figure illustrate the basic operation of a CRT. A beam of
electrons (cathode rays), emitted by an electron gun, passes through
focusing and deflection systems that direct the beam toward the specified
positions on the phosphor screen. The phosphor then emits a small spot of
light at each position contacted by the electron beam. Because the light
emitted by the phosphor fades very rapidly.
Electron gun:
The primary components of an electron gun in a CRT are the heated
metal cathode and a control grid. Heat is supplied to the cathode by
directing a current through a coil of wire, called the filament, inside the
cylindrical cathode structure. This causes electrons to be 'killed off" the hot
cathode surface. In the vacuum inside the CRT envelope, the free, negatively
charged electrons are then accelerated towards the phosphor coating by a
high positive voltage.
Control Grid:
Intensity of the electron beam is controlled by setting the voltage level
in the control grid which one fit over the cathode. Applying high negative
voltage to the control grid will shut off the beam from cathode by repelling

concept. So by adjusting the voltage level in the control grid you can change
the brightness of the display.
Accelerating Anode:
Accelerating anode is used in CRT to accelerate the electron to strike
the screen by high speed.

Focusing Anode:
Focusing anode is used in CRT to focus the electron beam in particular
place in the screen. Focusing done by two ways in CRT: either using electric
or magnetic field. Electrostatic focusing is commonly used in Television and
computer monitors. This is a positive voltage so its captured the electrons
and point tuned the electron beam to hit the particular place in the screen.
From the above figure: electron beams are hitting screen in the center point
only. But the screen size is square so electron beam must to hit the all places
in screen then only can see the picture in the screen. Defection made in
electron beam by two methods by
Electrostatic deflection
Magnetic deflection

Electrostatic deflection:
Electrostatic deflection is done by the capacitive plates are fixed
by horizontally and vertically to the screen. Vertical plates are
used to move the beam vertically in the screen and horizontal
plates are used to move the beam horizontally in the screen.
Magnetic deflection:
Magnetic deflection coils helps to focus the electron beam all
over the screen.
Drawbacks:
Modifying any part of image requires redrawing the entire image again
Change in the image requires to generate a new charge distribution in
the DVST

Slow process of drawing

Erasing takes about 0.5 seconds


No animation is possible with DVST

Calligraphic or Random Scan Display:

In this display system: CRT has the electron beam directed only to the
parts of the screen where a picture is to be drawn. Random scan monitors
draw a picture one line at a time and for this reason are also referred to as
vector displays (or stroke-writing or calligraphic displays).
Characters also made of sequence of strokes or short lines
Beam is deflected from end point to end point
Order of the deflection is dictated by arbitrary order of the display
commands
Phosphor has short persistence decays in 10-100us
The display must refresh with regular intervals minimum of 30Hz(fps)
for flicker free display
Refresh buffer is available in this display system. It is used to store the
display list or display program to draw the picture
The display processor interprets the commands in the refresh buffer for
plotting
The display program has commands for point, line, and character
plotting

Conceptual Block diagram


Application programs are running in the host CPU. Host CPU keeps the
Display programs and display commands in the display buffer. Based on the
program and command display controller will work and the picture processor
sends the point coordinate values to the vector generator. Vector generator
converts the digital coordinate value to analog voltage for beam deflection
circuit. Beam deflection circuit displaces the electron beam for drawing on
the CRT screen.

The above figure illustrates the operation of the electron beam


deflection in the random scan display. In this display system: image is drawn

in the CRT screen by line. In the first fig: its starting the image from one end
point to another end point. Finally using 3 lines, it is finished the image of
triangle.
One more example for drawing the image in CRT using random scan
display:

Random Scan System:


The below figure illustrates the random scan system: application
program and graphic packages stored in the system memory. Graphic
commands are translated to display file in the system memory by package.
Display processor is accessing that display file to refresh the screen.

Refresh and Raster Scan Display System:

The most common type of graphics monitor employing a CRT is the


raster-scan display, based on television technology. In a raster-scan system,
the electron beam is swept across the screen, one row at a time from top to
bottom. As the electron beam moves across each row, the beam intensity is
turned on and off to create a pattern of illuminated spots. Picture definition
is stored in a memory area called the refresh buffer or frame buffer. This
memory area holds the set of intensity values for all the screen points.
Stored intensity values are then retrieved from the refresh buffer and
"painted" on the screen one row (scan line) at a time. Each screen point is
referred to as a pixel or pel (shortened forms of picture element).
Drawing Image:

From the above figure: you can understand, how the raster scan
system drawing image in the screen. In this system, display screen is matrix
of pixels. So each pixel properties (coordination and intensity) are controlled
by video controller. Each pixel is addressable in frame buffer ex: (5, 5) (here
X and Y coordination values are 5 and 5). In this system cant draw the line
directly. Its possible by point by point only so it is called point plotting. See
the figure. Its drawing the line by point to point by scanning the screen from
top to bottom row.

Architecture of simple raster-scan system:


Interactive raster graphics systems typically employ
several processing units. In addition to the central processing unit or CPU, a
special-purpose processor called the video controller or display controller is
used to control the operation of the display device. Organization of a simple
raster system is shown in below figure.

Architecture of simple raster-scan system


In the above figure: frame buffer is available in system memory and
the video controller access the frame buffer to refresh the screen.

Architecture with fixed portion of system memory


In the above figure: only one difference is: here frame buffer area is
fixed size in the system memory so this architecture is called fixed portion of
system memory. The below figure is two dimensional system. Here the
coordinates are X and Y. these are used to fix the electron beam in the exact
place in the screen. In the frame buffer two registers available, that is:
register X and Y. these registers are used to keep the X and Y coordination:
using these values video controller is drawing the image in the screen.

Input Devices:

Various devices are available for data input on graphics systems. Most
systems have a keyboard and one or more additional devices specially
designed for interactive input. These include a mouse, trackball, space ball,
joystick, digitizers, dials, and button boxes. Some other input devices used in
particular applications are data gloves, touch panels, image scanners, and
voice systems. Here we will discuss some of the important devices.
Keyboard:
An alphanumeric keyboard on a graphics system is used primarily as a
device for entering text strings. The keyboard is an efficient device for
inputting such nongraphic data as picture labels associated with a graphics
display. Keyboards can also be provided with features to facilitate entry of
screen coordinates, menu selections, or graphics functions. Cursor-control
keys and function keys are common features on general purpose keyboards.
Function keys allow users to enter frequently used operations in a single
keystroke, and cursor-control keys can be used to select displayed objects or
coordinate positions by positioning the screen cursor.
Mouse:
A mouse is small hand-held box used to position the screen cursor.
Wheels or rollers on the bottom of the mouse can be used to record the
amount and direction of movement. Another method for detecting mouse
motion is with an optical sensor. For these systems: the mouse is moved over
a special mouse pad that has a grid of horizontal and vertical lines. The
optical sensor detects movement across the lines in the grid. Since a mouse
can be picked up and put down at another position without change in cursor
movement, it is used for making relative change in the position of the screen
cursor. One, two, or three buttons are usually included on the top of the
mouse for signaling the execution of some operation.

Trackball and Space ball:


Track ball is a ball that can be rotated with the fingers or palm of the
hand, to produce screen-cursor movement. Potentiometers, attached to the
ball, it measures the amount and direction of rotation. Trackballs are often
mounted on keyboards.
Space ball does not actually move. Strain gauges measure the amount
of pressure applied to the space ball to provide input for spatial positioning
and orientation as the ball is pushed or pulled in various directions. Space
balls are used for three-dimensional positioning and selection operations in
virtual reality systems, modeling, animation, CAD, and other applications.
Joysticks:
A joystick consists of a small, vertical lever (called the stick) mounted
on a base that is used to steer the screen cursor around. Most joysticks
select screen positions with actual stick movement; others respond to the
pressure on the stick. Some joysticks are mounted on a keyboard. The
distance that the stick is moved in any direction from its center position
corresponds to screen-cursor movement in that direction. Potentiometers
mounted at the base of the joystick measure the amount of
movement, and springs return the stick to the center position when it is
released.
Data Glove:
Data glove is used to grasp a virtual object. The glove is constructed
with a series of sensors that detect hand and finger motions.
Electromagnetic coupling between transmitting antennas and receiving
antennas is used to provide information about the position and orientation of
the hand. Input from the glove can be used to position or manipulate objects
in a virtual scene.
Image Scanners:
Drawings, graphs, color and black-and-white photos, or text can be
stored for computer processing with an image scanner by passing an optical
scanning mechanism over the information to be stored. The gradations of
gray scale or color are then recorded and stored in an array. Once we have
the internal representation of a picture, we can apply transformations to
rotate, scale, or crop the picture to a particular screen area. We can also
apply various image processing methods to modify the array representation
of the picture. For scanned text input, various editing operations can be
performed on the stored documents.

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